The present invention relates to a slack loop dryer which is adapted to dry photographic material while the photographic material is moving therein. The present invention also relates to a transfer assembly for transferring processed film from a processor to the dryer.
In typical photographic processing machines, photographic material, such as film, is processed by associating the photographic material with processing solution. After processing, the photographic material is dried in a dryer which typically blows air, such as heated air, onto the photographic material. Typically during processing, a single roll at a time is processed or a plurality of rolls of photographic film are spliced together and processed in a photograph processor. After processing, the processed photographic material is delivered to a dryer. Conventionally, the dryer includes a straight path therethrough, which does not permit an entire roll of photographic film to be removed from the processor and inserted into the dryer since the length of the path is usually less than the length of the photographic material to be dried. This can delay the start of the processing operation in the processor for a subsequent roll of film. Conventional dryers which include a U-shaped drying path enable the formation of a slack loop of the photographic material within the dryer. These conventional dryers permit the drying of longer length film but do not permit an adjustment of the length or the size of the slack loop to accommodate different lengths of film. Therefore, in these conventional dryers, it is not possible to match the amount of drying air applied to the film with the length or size of the slack loops of the photographic material being dried. It is, therefore, not possible to optimize the amount of air being supplied in accordance with the size of the slack loop.
The present invention relates to a dryer which is capable of drying photographic material while it is moving and a transfer assembly for transferring processed photographic material from a processor to the dryer. The dryer of the present invention is a slack loop dryer in which the size of the slack loops as well as the amount of drying air supplied to the slack loops are adjustable so as to optimize the supply of drying air onto the photographic material. With the arrangement of the present invention, it is possible to quickly remove and transfer processed photographic material from the processor in order to improve throughput. By continuously moving the photographic material during drying, the occurrence of drying marks and other drying artifacts on the photographic material is prevented.
The present invention accordingly provides for an assembly for transferring at least two types of photographic film from a first type of photographic equipment to a second type of photographic equipment. The assembly comprises a support member comprising a grabbing mechanism adapted to grab a photographic cartridge from a first type of photograph equipment for transfer to a second type of photographic equipment, with the photographic cartridge being adapted to carry a first type of photographic film. The support member further comprises a first pair of pinch rollers for gripping a front end of a second type of photographic film as the photographic film exits the first type of photographic equipment for transfer to the second type of photographic equipment, wherein the support member places the photographic cartridge with the first type of photographic film attached thereto or the front end of the second type of photographic film gripped by the pinch rollers in a vicinity of an entrance to the second type of photographic equipment.
The present invention also relates to a dryer for drying photographic film which comprises a drying path for photographic film to be dried that extends from an entrance to an exit of the dryer; a support member comprising a first pair of pinch rollers, with the first pair of pinch rollers being adapted to hold a first end of a first type of processed photographic film to be dried in the dryer; a drive mechanism which supports the support member, the drive mechanism being adapted to drive the support member from the entrance to the exit of the dryer, such that when the first type of photographic film is to be dried in the dryer, the drive mechanism places the first end of the first type of photographic film in a vicinity of the exit of the dryer and a second end of the first type of photographic film in a vicinity of the entrance of the dryer; a second pair of pinch rollers provided at the entrance to the dryer, the second pair of pinch rollers being movable between an open position to permit the support member being driven by the drive mechanism to pass therethrough and a closed position which holds the second end of the first type of photographic film, such that the first type of photographic film spans along the drying path of the dryer, at least one adjustable roller provided along the drying path, the at least one adjustable roller being movable between an upper position located above the first type of photographic film spanning along the drying path and at least one lower position in which the at least one adjustable roller contacts the first type of photographic film an forms a slack loop in the first type of photographic film; and an air supply arrangement adapted to supply drying air to the slack loop formed in the first type of photographic film.
The present invention also relates to a dryer for drying photographic film which comprises a drying path for photographic film to be dried which extends from an entrance to an exit of the dryer; a support member having a holding arrangement thereon, with the holding arrangement being adapted to hold a film cartridge, wherein a first end of photographic film to be dried is attached to the cartridge and a second end of photographic film to be dried is outside of and trails the cartridge; a drive mechanism which supports the support member, with the drive mechanism being adapted to drive the support member from the entrance to the exit of the dryer, such that when the photographic film is to be dried in the dryer, the drive mechanism places the first end of the photographic film in a vicinity of the exit of the dryer and a second end of the photographic film in a vicinity of the entrance of the dryer; a pair of pinch rollers provided at the entrance to the dryer, the pair of pinch rollers being movable between an open position to permit the support member being driven by the drive mechanism to pass therethrough and a closed position which holds the second end of the photographic film, such that the photographic film spans along the drying path of the dryer; at least one adjustable roller provided along the drying path, with the at least one adjustable roller being movable between an upper position located above the photographic film spanning along the drying path and at least one lower position in which the at least one adjustable roller contacts the photographic film and forms a slack loop in the photographic film; and an air supply arrangement adapted to supply drying air to the slack loop formed in the photographic film.